Category Archives: Uncategorized

I just published my newsletter…well, Steph actually published it…on Thursday. I’m excited about my new classes. You can see them by clicking on my class schedule at the top of this page. Come join me and make something fun!

This rainbow bargello is so pretty and so not complicated! Village Fabric Shop has the jellyrolls now.

I borrowed this tree skirt from my children. It’s hand appliqued and hand quilted and easily finished before Christmas! The shop has the patterns.

My cross stitch family class produces this. I made one for Amy because everybody in my family is really tall. 🙂

And then there’s this! I finished my La Pass (this shows the bottom edge) and we are having an Open House next Saturday, August 12 at 9:00 at Village Fabric Shop. Come join us and see what that’s all about!

I teach big stitch hand quilting in my boro bag class at Village Fabric Shop. It’s a great way to learn the technique without investing a huge amount of time. You also end up with an awesome little bag. The pattern is from noodle-head.com. Best bag patterns ever.

These boro bags belong to Ann (left) and Jean (right). Ann used Essex linen and did some piecing to make her panels. Jean used a fat quarter of the same fabric.

Same bags. Different sides. Jean quilted squares. Ann used different thread colors. Most of the threads were #8 perle cottons.

Debbie’s. Front.

Back. Beautiful. Just the right amount of quilting.

Paula’s front.

Her back. She used Anna Maria Horner’s wovens and we all loved the result.

Kay’s blocks before she made her bag. Kay is a very good hand quilter and we loved her patterns. Unfortunately I didn’t get a shot of her finished bag. Sorry Kay! It’s sitting right in the middle of the display below…

I “moderate” a monthly Open Sew at Village Fabric Shop. It’s a great group of young women. Earlier this spring they decided to have a quilt retreat at Lake Norman and they invited me to join them.So here they all are. Steph, Carrie, Fowler, Mindy, Jennifer and Laura. Kinda pretty there isn’t it?

Now they will be participating in a round robin. HAHAHA They have swapped their center blocks and they will pass later this month during their Open Sew. So much fun to watch them want to do their best!

They will swap blocks for the second round in just a few days. I’ll keep you posted…

I am in love with my alphabet quilt sampler from S is for Stitch. The book is out of print but Village Fabric Shop did some digging and found some copies so if this inspires you, just e-mail Amy.Here’s the “c” block. The author says “the door handle’s position is the only indication of which direction the car is facing.” Such great drawings!“Energy” is the block I teach in class. One of my favorites.“Z” shows what a one-thread bee wing vein looks like. So sweet. This quilt is full of wonderful little colonial knots. Martha at Knit One Smock Too taught me how to work a colonial knot several years ago. I love them!“Volcano” is another one of my favorites. So simple and so perfect. One strand works the cloud. 🙂The octopus makes me smile.And who wouldn’t love a baseball block?When I sent my finished top to Ginabean Quilts, it looked like this.When Gina brought it to me, it looked like THIS.

I teach a beginning quilt class at Village Fabric Shop. I LOVE beginners; they think I know everything! It really is fun to help them pick fabrics, learn to piece and then surprise themselves with their beautiful tops! Here are some of their creations. The pattern comes from Julie Herman’s book, Skip the Borders.This one belongs to Anne-Marie. Her 4-patch fabrics were a great pick.

Love it! She was in the shop just yesterday to pick her binding.

Amelia made this quilt for her grandchild. She’s getting ready to machine quilt it herself. It’s a happy quilt!

This Tula fabulousness belongs to Christi. The back of Christi’s quilt. Gina Allen quilted this for her.Steph’s beginner quilt. Don’t you love the set?? She and Anne-Marie (first picture) are besties and we had a great time in class!The pieced back. Love it! Gina Allen quilted this for her.This beauty belongs to Linda. It’s a grandson quilt and I know he will love it!

Linda sent me these pictures after I posted this page. Here’s her grandson enjoying his new quilt!

Front!Pieced back! Fabulous!

Here’s Jean’s beginner quilt. She used only eight fabrics. She has it basted and she’s planning on hand quilting it. Great looking!

Last, but certainly not least, is Laura’s lovely creation. Such a great set. She started binding it this week. Laura Davies quilted this for her.

Such beautiful quilts! A big thanks to my beginners…they aren’t beginners any more!!

This winter I decided I wanted to TRY to make an “improv” quilt. I have lots of respect for original design work; it’s not easy! I used Jacquie Gehring’s book, Quilting Modern as my starting point. This picture shows the first blocks I made. I put them on a background of Freespirit’s Arctic White; it’s my most favorite white. Amy keeps it in stock at Village Fabric Shop just for me. 🙂Didn’t like all that dark so I removed those blocks…and ended up with this. I used a nice collection of shot cottons and of course I had some Amy Butler fabrics that worked very nicely with them.

I arranged them sort of like I wanted them and then I started to sew.

I ended up with this.I bought a beautiful piece of voile for the backing and a spool of Sulky 12 wt. variegated thread because I decided to hand quilt it.

So I pin basted it and got started. My phone dates this picture February 15. I love deadlines. I decided this project would keep me sane while I watched the NCAA basketball games. We get a little crazy at our house with the tournament, brackets, etc. My goal was to have it finished by the championship game on April 3. That gave me about six weeks. I echo quilted it. I quilted around each block until the quilting ran into the next block and then filled in the “holes.” That’s about a 3/8″ gap between the lines…more than 1/4″ but not quite a 1/2.” No need to mark. Just eyeball it.

It got to travel too! It went to Florida for a baseball spring training trip and here’s a picture of it at Lake Norman…right before the Final Four games started.

I really like how it turned out.

I finished it the WEEK of April 3. 🙂 UNC Chapel Hill won the championship so my Tarheel son was very happy. Big stitch hand quilting does take time. I think I had about 35 hours in this one. It’s SO WORTH IT though. It’s hanging at Village Fabric Shop. Just give it a squeeze the next time you are there…so very soft.